The Beautiful Beaches of Brazil

Have you ever heard of Ipanema and Copa Cabana? Of course you have! Brazil’s beaches are so famous you feel like you know them, even though you’ve never been. And there’s good reason for that too. Brazil has arguably, the sexiest, most attractive beaches in the world, and that’s before you even factor in all the beautiful people having the time of their lives on those beaches.

Brazil is known for its enormous, raucous Carnival festival, featuring parade floats, flamboyant costumes and samba, but more importantly its world renowned Copacabana, Pristine Baia do Sancho and Ipanema beaches as well. Although two of these three beaches are some of the most popular in the world, they are not overcrowded and Baia do Sanchoin particular is quite secluded due to the relative difficulty of actually accessing it.

Copacabana itself actually refers to a neighborhood located in the South Zone of the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is known however for its 4 km Balneario beach, which again is one of the most famous in the world. The beach is often colloquially referred to as Copacabana Beach. Copacabana Beach plays host to millions of revelers during the annual New Year’s Eve celebrations. The fireworks display in Rio de Janeiro to celebrate New Year’s Eve is one of the largest in the world and lasts on average 15 to 20 minutes. It is estimated that 2 million people go to Copacabana Beach to see the spectacle. The festival also includes a concert that extends throughout the night. The celebration has become one of the biggest tourist attractions for Rio, attracting visitors from all over Brazil as well as from different parts of the world. Hotels surrounding the beach generally stay fully booked due to its popularity.

Ipanema is Brazil’s other famous beach, located adjacent to Copacabana, but it is distinct from its neighbor. Ipanema again refers to an actual neighborhood, not the beach, but the beach has been colloquially called Ipanema Beach. The neighborhood is filled with world-class restaurants, shops, and cafes. Ipanema is one of the most expensive places to live in Rio.

At the forefront of the beach culture are the many surfers and sun worshippers who socialize daily at the beach. Every Sunday, the roadway closest to the beach is closed to motor vehicles and local residents and tourists use the opportunity to ride bikes, roller skate, skateboard, and walk along the ocean for an amazing day at the beach.

Known as a terrestrial paradise, the slightly secluded Baia do Sancho is a hidden gem of a beach located on an island to the northeast of the Brazilian mainland. It has been named the best beach in the world by TripAdvisor. TripAdvisor compiles a list of best beaches based on quality and quantity of a year’s worth of reviews and this beautiful paradise came out on top. The beach is appealing for a number of reasons, including the sparkling emerald water, the coral reefs, and the solitude. The solitude of the beach is as a result of the challenges faced when attempting to actually travel to the beach. Trekkers have to follow a dirt trail, climb “down a rickety ladder through the rock wall, through a tight crevasse, down an even ricketier ladder, and finally down a few dozen uneven, slippery sandy steps.

Brazil is home to many more beautiful beaches and hidden gems similar to Baia do Sancho, why not have the time of your life finding and visiting them?